Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Fina

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Fina particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; anemone to daisy capitulum type; light yellow to cream ray floret color; diameter across face of capitulum of up to 10 cm at maturity; uniform eight week photoperiodic flowering response to short days; peduncle length ranging from 8 to 20 cm on open, terminal sprays; medium plant height when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; and excellent tolerance to low temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the cultivar name Cream Fina.

Cream Fina, identified as 84-567C06, is a product of a mutation induction program which had the objective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars that would expand the color range of an existing cultivar while retaining all other traits.

Cream Fina was discovered and selected by Cornelis P. VandenBerg on Nov. 17, 1987 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif. as one flowering plant within a flowering block established as rooted cuttings from stock plants which had been exposed as unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads. The irradiated parent was the cultivar identified as Fina, disclosed in plant patent application Ser. No. 173,082, now U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,881.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Cream Fina was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in January 1988 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., by technicians working under formulations established and supervised by Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for Cream Fina are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Cream Fina has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif. under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial greenhouse practice. The low temperature tolerance of the new variety as noted below was determined in repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Cream Fina, which, in combination, distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Anemone to daisy capitulum type.

3. Light yellow to cream ray floret color.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of up to 10 cm at maturity.

5. Uniform eight week photoperiodic flowering response to short days.

6. Peduncle length ranging from 8 to 20 cm on open, terminal sprays.

7. Medium plant height, requiring two long day weeks prior to short days to attain a flowered plant height of 90 to 100 cm for year-round flowerings.

8. Excellent tolerance to low temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The accompanying photographic drawing shows typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Cream Fina, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type. The color photograph is a perspective view of Cream Fina grown as a single stem cut spray mum.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to Cream Fina are the parent cultivar Fina and the induced mutations Yellow Fina and Dark Yellow Fina, both created through the same mutation induction program as Cream Fina, and disclosed in applicant's pending application Ser. No. 07/435,819 and Ser. No. 07/435,823, both filed simultaneously with the present application. All traits of Cream Fina are similar to those of Fina, except the color of the ray florets. The color of the ray florets of Cream Fina is light yellow to cream, whereas Fina has white ray florets. The cultivar Yellow Fina is distinguished from Cream Fina, Dark Yellow Fina and the parent cultivar Fina by its bright yellow ray floret color and mature yellow anemone cushion. The cultivar Dark Yellow Fina has much darker yellow ray florets.

In the following description color references are made to the Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined on plant material grown as a single stem cut spray mum in Salinas, Calif. on July 12, 1989.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Cream Fina.

Commercial.--Anemone to daisy cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Anemone to daisy. Anemone cushion is small and slow in development, and capitulum type is close to daisy.

Diameter across face.--Up to 10 cm at maturity.

Diameter of anemone cushion.--Up to 2 cm.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--Light yellow to cream.

Color (upper surface).--5D.

Color (under surface).--5D.

Shape.--Flat, oblong. Older flowers show longitudinal petal twist.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--Closest to 154C.

Color (immature).--Closest to 143B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; scant pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--Medium; 90 to 100 cm as a single stem cut mum with two long day weeks prior to short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--Lobed, slightly serrated. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Cream Fina, as described and illustrated. 